Acemagic M2A Starship review: Gaming PC with futuristic spaceship look relies on Intel Core i9-12900H and Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 laptop GPU
Already with the Acemagic Tank03 the system manufacturer from the Far East had already presented a powerful gaming PC that scored points for its looks and compactness. With the Acemagic M2A Starship, the manufacturer is taking a similar approach, although the device is slightly larger. In return, the Acemagic M2A offers an extremely unusual design. However, the hardware inside is based on familiar components used in the Acemagic Tank03.
In the top configuration, the manufacturer pairs an Intel Core i9-12900H with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 laptop, which has 16 GB of VRAM. There is also 32 GB DDR5 RAM and an SSD with 1 TB of storage space. With this configuration, the device is available on the shelves for an RRP of 1,599 euros. Cheaper configurations based on an Intel Core i7-12700H and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 laptop or an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 laptop are listed in the store. Availability is currently not guaranteed though. The manufacturer occasionally offers generous discounts in its own store. It may therefore be worth taking a look at the manufacturer's online store.
In this review, the Acemagic M2A Starship has to prove itself against the competition from its own company as well as from Minisforum, Intel, and Zotac. We have compiled an overview of the comparison devices in the table below.
Possible competitors in comparison
Rating | Version | Date | Model | Memory | Weight | Height |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 80.7 % | v8 | 06 / 2024 | Acemagic M2A i9-12900H, GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU | 32768 MB | 2.1 kg | 200 mm |
| 90.6 % v7 (old) | v7 (old) | 11 / 2023 | Minisforum Neptune Series HX77G R7 7735HS, Radeon RX 6600M | 32768 MB | 1.6 kg | 69.3 mm |
| 88.4 % v7 (old) | v7 (old) | 03 / 2023 | Intel NUC 12, NUC12SNKi72_Serpent Canyon i7-12700H, A770M | 32768 MB | 2 kg | 60 mm |
| 87.7 % v7 (old) | v7 (old) | 12 / 2023 | Acemagic Tank03 i9-12900H, GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU | 32768 MB | 2.2 kg | 159 mm |
v7 (old) | v7 (old) | 09 / 2022 | Minisforum NUCX i7 i7-11800H, GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU | 16384 MB | 2.4 kg | 393 mm |
v (old) | 05 / 2022 | Zotac ZBOX Magnus EN173070C i7-11800H, GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU | 32768 MB | 1.8 kg | 62.2 mm |
Note: We have recently updated our rating system and the results of version 8 are not comparable with the results of version 7. More information is available here .
Case - Spaceship look with RGB elements and display
The Acemagic M2A Starship has an extremely high recognition value due to its appearance. The manufacturer packs the hardware in an extravagant case that looks like a spaceship. Anyone looking for a PC with an unusual look will certainly enjoy the Acemagic M2A. Plastic is predominantly used in the choice of materials. This is not a tragedy, as the silver-colored elements match the black plastic chassis perfectly. The footprint of the eye-catching mini-PC is slightly larger than that of other competitors. Nevertheless, the Acemagic M2A Starship does not go completely over the top. The weight of the test sample is just over 2.1 kilograms, with the huge 300-watt power supply weighing in at another 1.1 kilograms. The device is sturdily built and also offers a high level of rigidity. Nevertheless, the casing may crack under load if the device is cold and heats up under load during gaming.
As a visual highlight, the manufacturer has installed some illuminated elements that can be controlled using a small tool. There is also a small display on the front, which shows some system info. This can also be customized using an app. But that's not all, as there is a small lamp in the middle under the display that projects the Acemagic logo onto the tabletop.
Features - Many ports with USB4 connectivity
The Acemagic M2A Starship offers a sufficient number of external interfaces. There are a total of six USB-A sockets and an additional USB4 socket, which can provide many more ports via a docking station, for example. There are two HDMI outputs and one DisplayPort for image output. Alternatively, the USB4 port can also be used for video output. It is important to note that all external interfaces are located at the rear. In terms of design, this decision is certainly understandable.
Communication
The Acemagic M2A Starship is equipped with a WLAN module from Realtek. The same model was already used in the Acemagic Tank03. The wireless module delivered good results in the test. However, it does not use the latest Wi-Fi standard. This means that you only have to make do with the 5 GHz frequency band at best. All Wi-Fi tests were carried out with our Asus ROG Rapture GT-AXE11000 test router. For wired network connections, the Acemagic M2A Starship offers two RJ45 interfaces, each of which enables speeds of up to 2.5 Gbit/s.
Accessories
Acemagic does not include many extras with the M2A Starship. In addition to the device itself, the relatively big box contains a large 300-watt power supply unit, a high-quality HDMI cable, and a user manual.
Maintenance
The Acemagic M2A Starship does not offer a quick and easy way to replace RAM or SSD. This is a shame because of the two maintenance flaps on the Acemagic Tank03. Nevertheless, the Starship mini-PC can be disassembled if you are a little clever. To access the inside, numerous screws must first be removed. There are also four screws hidden under the glued-on rubber feet. After removing the feet and the plastic cover underneath, which is screwed on separately, you only have the option of replacing the WLAN module. The RAM and SSD are located on the other side of the motherboard. Basically, the entire mainboard including the cooling unit has to be removed. We set to work and were able to dismantle the device to this extent. Unfortunately, it is not possible to quickly replace the RAM or expand the mass storage. Other devices offer simpler solutions here. Finally, the Acemagic M2A Starship can be equipped with two NVMe SSDs. The device offers exactly two SO-DIMM slots for the RAM, which are equipped with two 16 GB modules.
Software
The Windows 11 Home operating system is pre-installed on the Acemagic M2A Starship. There are also two small apps preinstalled on the device, which are used to control the lighting and adjust the integrated display. The RGB control is kept very simple and does not offer many customization options. This program can also be used to switch the small projector lamp on the underside on or off. The display on the front is used to show some system information and can be customized to a limited extent. However, Acemagic could have used the space on the front more effectively. The built-in display is relatively small and cannot always be read perfectly due to the curved plastic cover.
The topic of viruses and Trojans still has a bad aftertaste in connection with Acemagic. However, we were unable to detect anything unusual on our test device. To be on the safe side, you should completely reinstall the pre-installed operating system yourself. This procedure does not depend on the manufacturer and should always be carried out!
Performance - Intel Core i9-12900H or Intel Core i7-12700H
With the Intel Core i9-12900H acemagic installs a fast and powerful SoC in the top configuration, which together with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 laptop delivers outstanding gaming performance. Alternatively, the Acemagic M2A Starship is equipped with an Intel Core i7-12700H. The 3D accelerators still include an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop or an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 laptop to choose from.
Test conditions
All performance tests were carried out with the "Balanced" energy profile. The Acemagic M2A Starship was left in its delivery state. All Windows updates available up to the time of testing were installed.
Processor
The Intel Core i9-12900H is a high-end processor based on Intel's Alder Lake architecture. With 14 cores and 20 threads, the SoC masters powerful applications with ease. The competitors also showed a similarly good performance, which puts the Acemagic M2A Starship in good company. In a direct performance comparison, however, it is only good enough for second place. The outstanding performance of the Intel Core i7-12700H, which is installed in the Intel NUC 12 Serpent Canyon, can't be matched by our test sample. Unlike the Acemagic Tank03, the performance of the processor cannot be further reduced or even increased. The performance limits of the Intel Core i9-12900H are 65 watts at the peak, although 45 watts are permanently available.
You can find more benchmarks for the processors here.
| Performance Rating - Percent | |
| Intel NUC 12, NUC12SNKi72_Serpent Canyon | |
| Acemagic M2A | |
| Acemagic Tank03 | |
| Minisforum Neptune Series HX77G | |
| Minisforum NUCX i7 | |
| Zotac ZBOX Magnus EN173070C | |
| Blender - v2.79 BMW27 CPU | |
| Zotac ZBOX Magnus EN173070C | |
| Minisforum NUCX i7 | |
| Acemagic M2A | |
| Acemagic Tank03 | |
| Minisforum Neptune Series HX77G | |
| Intel NUC 12, NUC12SNKi72_Serpent Canyon | |
| WinRAR - Result | |
| Acemagic M2A | |
| Intel NUC 12, NUC12SNKi72_Serpent Canyon | |
| Minisforum NUCX i7 | |
| Zotac ZBOX Magnus EN173070C | |
| Acemagic Tank03 | |
| Minisforum Neptune Series HX77G | |
| 3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance Physics | |
| Acemagic M2A | |
| Acemagic Tank03 | |
| Minisforum Neptune Series HX77G | |
| Intel NUC 12, NUC12SNKi72_Serpent Canyon | |
| Minisforum NUCX i7 | |
| Zotac ZBOX Magnus EN173070C | |
| HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2 - 4k Preset | |
| Intel NUC 12, NUC12SNKi72_Serpent Canyon | |
| Minisforum Neptune Series HX77G | |
| Acemagic M2A | |
| Minisforum NUCX i7 | |
| Acemagic Tank03 | |
| Zotac ZBOX Magnus EN173070C | |
| R Benchmark 2.5 - Overall mean | |
| Minisforum NUCX i7 | |
| Zotac ZBOX Magnus EN173070C | |
| Acemagic Tank03 | |
| Minisforum Neptune Series HX77G | |
| Intel NUC 12, NUC12SNKi72_Serpent Canyon | |
| Acemagic M2A | |
| LibreOffice - 20 Documents To PDF | |
| Minisforum NUCX i7 | |
| Minisforum Neptune Series HX77G | |
| Zotac ZBOX Magnus EN173070C | |
| Intel NUC 12, NUC12SNKi72_Serpent Canyon | |
| Acemagic M2A | |
| Acemagic Tank03 | |
| WebXPRT 3 - Overall | |
| Minisforum Neptune Series HX77G | |
| Acemagic M2A | |
| Intel NUC 12, NUC12SNKi72_Serpent Canyon | |
| Acemagic Tank03 | |
| Zotac ZBOX Magnus EN173070C | |
| Minisforum NUCX i7 | |
| Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total | |
| Zotac ZBOX Magnus EN173070C | |
| Minisforum NUCX i7 | |
| Acemagic Tank03 | |
| Minisforum Neptune Series HX77G | |
| Intel NUC 12, NUC12SNKi72_Serpent Canyon | |
| Acemagic M2A | |
| Super Pi mod 1.5 XS 1M - 1M | |
| Intel NUC 12, NUC12SNKi72_Serpent Canyon | |
| Acemagic Tank03 | |
| Minisforum Neptune Series HX77G | |
| Acemagic M2A | |
| Zotac ZBOX Magnus EN173070C | |
| Minisforum NUCX i7 | |
| Super Pi mod 1.5 XS 2M - 2M | |
| Minisforum Neptune Series HX77G | |
| Acemagic Tank03 | |
| Intel NUC 12, NUC12SNKi72_Serpent Canyon | |
| Acemagic M2A | |
| Zotac ZBOX Magnus EN173070C | |
| Minisforum NUCX i7 | |
| Super Pi Mod 1.5 XS 32M - 32M | |
| Minisforum Neptune Series HX77G | |
| Intel NUC 12, NUC12SNKi72_Serpent Canyon | |
| Acemagic Tank03 | |
| Acemagic M2A | |
| Minisforum NUCX i7 | |
| Zotac ZBOX Magnus EN173070C | |
* ... smaller is better
AIDA64: FP32 Ray-Trace | FPU Julia | CPU SHA3 | CPU Queen | FPU SinJulia | FPU Mandel | CPU AES | CPU ZLib | FP64 Ray-Trace | CPU PhotoWorxx
| Performance Rating | |
| Minisforum Neptune Series HX77G | |
| Intel NUC 12, NUC12SNKi72_Serpent Canyon | |
| Zotac ZBOX Magnus EN173070C | |
| Minisforum NUCX i7 | |
| Average of class Mini PC | |
| Acemagic M2A | |
| Acemagic Tank03 | |
| AIDA64 / FP32 Ray-Trace | |
| Minisforum Neptune Series HX77G | |
| Intel NUC 12, NUC12SNKi72_Serpent Canyon | |
| Average of class Mini PC (764 - 51004, n=115, last 2 years) | |
| Zotac ZBOX Magnus EN173070C | |
| Minisforum NUCX i7 | |
| Acemagic Tank03 | |
| Acemagic M2A | |
| AIDA64 / FPU Julia | |
| Minisforum Neptune Series HX77G | |
| Intel NUC 12, NUC12SNKi72_Serpent Canyon | |
| Average of class Mini PC (4140 - 214250, n=115, last 2 years) | |
| Acemagic Tank03 | |
| Acemagic M2A | |
| Zotac ZBOX Magnus EN173070C | |
| Minisforum NUCX i7 | |
| AIDA64 / CPU SHA3 | |
| Zotac ZBOX Magnus EN173070C | |
| Minisforum NUCX i7 | |
| Intel NUC 12, NUC12SNKi72_Serpent Canyon | |
| Minisforum Neptune Series HX77G | |
| Average of class Mini PC (290 - 9399, n=115, last 2 years) | |
| Acemagic Tank03 | |
| Acemagic M2A | |
| AIDA64 / CPU Queen | |
| Minisforum Neptune Series HX77G | |
| Intel NUC 12, NUC12SNKi72_Serpent Canyon | |
| Acemagic Tank03 | |
| Acemagic M2A | |
| Minisforum NUCX i7 | |
| Zotac ZBOX Magnus EN173070C | |
| Average of class Mini PC (8172 - 184747, n=115, last 2 years) | |
| AIDA64 / FPU SinJulia | |
| Minisforum Neptune Series HX77G | |
| Minisforum NUCX i7 | |
| Zotac ZBOX Magnus EN173070C | |
| Intel NUC 12, NUC12SNKi72_Serpent Canyon | |
| Average of class Mini PC (408 - 29064, n=115, last 2 years) | |
| Acemagic Tank03 | |
| Acemagic M2A | |
| AIDA64 / FPU Mandel | |
| Minisforum Neptune Series HX77G | |
| Average of class Mini PC (2088 - 113499, n=115, last 2 years) | |
| Intel NUC 12, NUC12SNKi72_Serpent Canyon | |
| Zotac ZBOX Magnus EN173070C | |
| Minisforum NUCX i7 | |
| Acemagic Tank03 | |
| Acemagic M2A | |
| AIDA64 / CPU ZLib | |
| Intel NUC 12, NUC12SNKi72_Serpent Canyon | |
| Minisforum Neptune Series HX77G | |
| Acemagic Tank03 | |
| Acemagic M2A | |
| Average of class Mini PC (76.7 - 2039, n=115, last 2 years) | |
| Minisforum NUCX i7 | |
| Zotac ZBOX Magnus EN173070C | |
| AIDA64 / FP64 Ray-Trace | |
| Minisforum Neptune Series HX77G | |
| Intel NUC 12, NUC12SNKi72_Serpent Canyon | |
| Average of class Mini PC (432 - 26952, n=115, last 2 years) | |
| Zotac ZBOX Magnus EN173070C | |
| Minisforum NUCX i7 | |
| Acemagic Tank03 | |
| Acemagic M2A | |
| AIDA64 / CPU PhotoWorxx | |
| Acemagic M2A | |
| Acemagic Tank03 | |
| Minisforum Neptune Series HX77G | |
| Average of class Mini PC (5296 - 51727, n=115, last 2 years) | |
| Intel NUC 12, NUC12SNKi72_Serpent Canyon | |
| Zotac ZBOX Magnus EN173070C | |
| Minisforum NUCX i7 | |
Cinebench R15 multi loop
The Cinebench R15 continuous loop gives us a good first impression of the performance of the built-in cooling. The Intel Core i7-12900H has 65 watts available at best. After 56 seconds, the power is then reduced to a permanent 45 watts, which is well reflected in the results. As a result, there is a significant loss of performance under prolonged load.
System performance
The system performance of the Acemagic M2A Starship is in no way inferior to the other competitors. The gaming PC works smoothly and masters multi-threaded tasks effortlessly. The use of DDR5 RAM should be emphasized positively, which in combination with our test sample achieved the best result here, closely followed by the Acemagic Tank03.
| AIDA64 / Memory Copy | |
| Acemagic M2A | |
| Acemagic Tank03 | |
| Minisforum Neptune Series HX77G | |
| Average of class Mini PC (8377 - 89287, n=115, last 2 years) | |
| Intel NUC 12, NUC12SNKi72_Serpent Canyon | |
| Minisforum NUCX i7 | |
| Zotac ZBOX Magnus EN173070C | |
| AIDA64 / Memory Read | |
| Acemagic M2A | |
| Acemagic Tank03 | |
| Minisforum Neptune Series HX77G | |
| Average of class Mini PC (8974 - 100086, n=115, last 2 years) | |
| Intel NUC 12, NUC12SNKi72_Serpent Canyon | |
| Zotac ZBOX Magnus EN173070C | |
| Minisforum NUCX i7 | |
| AIDA64 / Memory Write | |
| Acemagic Tank03 | |
| Acemagic M2A | |
| Average of class Mini PC (8762 - 100538, n=115, last 2 years) | |
| Minisforum Neptune Series HX77G | |
| Intel NUC 12, NUC12SNKi72_Serpent Canyon | |
| Zotac ZBOX Magnus EN173070C | |
| Minisforum NUCX i7 | |
| AIDA64 / Memory Latency | |
| Minisforum NUCX i7 | |
| Average of class Mini PC (44.9 - 184.8, n=115, last 2 years) | |
| Acemagic M2A | |
| Acemagic Tank03 | |
| Intel NUC 12, NUC12SNKi72_Serpent Canyon | |
| Minisforum Neptune Series HX77G | |
| Zotac ZBOX Magnus EN173070C | |
* ... smaller is better
DPC latencies
We detect increased DPC latencies when opening several browser tabs in the Edge browser. When playing the 4K YouTube video, the values do not increase at first. In addition, the iGPU is used here, which is loaded to approx. 22 percent. A stress test with Prime95 causes the values to increase slightly again. Compared to the other mini-PCs, the Acemagic M2A Starship still achieves a good third place.
| DPC Latencies / LatencyMon - interrupt to process latency (max), Web, Youtube, Prime95 | |
| Intel NUC 12, NUC12SNKi72_Serpent Canyon | |
| Minisforum NUCX i7 | |
| Acemagic Tank03 | |
| Acemagic M2A | |
| Zotac ZBOX Magnus EN173070C | |
| Minisforum Neptune Series HX77G | |
* ... smaller is better
Mass storage
The Acemagic M2A Starship is equipped with a 1 TB SSD from Rayson. The model used utilizes the M.2 interface with PCIe 4.0 x4 speed. In the tests, the mass storage device achieved a reasonable performance and came third in the comparison. A loss of performance is to be expected due to the temperature, as can be seen from the continuous performance.
As already mentioned in the maintenance section, two mass storage devices can be installed in the Acemagic M2A. However, installing a second SSD is anything but easy. Due to the target group of the mini-PC, it would make more sense to install an SSD with 2 TB of storage space directly.
For further benchmarks, please refer to our comparison table.
* ... smaller is better
Continuous read: DiskSpd Read Loop, Queue Depth 8
Graphics card - Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU with 16 GB
The dedicated graphics card in our test sample is an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 laptop GPU. The performance limits for mobile graphics cards range from 80 to 150 watts. In the Acemagic M2A, the performance of the 3D accelerator is limited to a maximum of 115 watts, which means that the full potential of the graphics card is not available. Looking at the synthetic benchmark results, our test sample cannot compete with the two competitors with the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 laptop GPU. Due to the generous cooling unit and the temperatures documented to date, the manufacturer could have expected a little more performance from the dedicated graphics card. The biggest advantage of the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 laptop GPU in the Acemagic M2A is certainly the ample graphics memory. Here, 16 GB VRAM is used. Already with the Acemagic Tank03, the manufacturer used this combination.
An important note regarding the installed graphics card relates to the driver and the manufacturer's support. The official drivers from Nvidia cannot be installed. Why the manufacturer takes the detour and only allows special drivers here is a mystery to us. This results in problems with compatibility with newer games, as Acemagic treats the topic of driver updates for its devices rather neglectfully. The same problem also exists with the Acemagic Tank03, which ultimately has a similar basis. It is possible to download and install specially adapted drivers on the Internet via GitHub. However, it is important to note that this is not an official source and may contain malware.
You can find more benchmarks for the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 laptop GPU here.
| 3DMark Performance Rating - Percent | |
| Intel NUC 12, NUC12SNKi72_Serpent Canyon | |
| Acemagic Tank03 | |
| Zotac ZBOX Magnus EN173070C | |
| Acemagic M2A | |
| Minisforum NUCX i7 | |
| Minisforum Neptune Series HX77G | |
| 3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU | |
| Intel NUC 12, NUC12SNKi72_Serpent Canyon | |
| Acemagic Tank03 | |
| Minisforum NUCX i7 | |
| Zotac ZBOX Magnus EN173070C | |
| Acemagic M2A | |
| Minisforum Neptune Series HX77G | |
| Unigine Valley 1.0 | |
| 1920x1080 Extreme HD DirectX AA:x8 | |
| Zotac ZBOX Magnus EN173070C | |
| Acemagic M2A | |
| Acemagic Tank03 | |
| Minisforum NUCX i7 | |
| Minisforum Neptune Series HX77G | |
| Intel NUC 12, NUC12SNKi72_Serpent Canyon | |
| 1920x1080 Extreme HD Preset OpenGL AA:x8 | |
| Acemagic M2A | |
| Acemagic Tank03 | |
| Zotac ZBOX Magnus EN173070C | |
| Minisforum NUCX i7 | |
| Minisforum Neptune Series HX77G | |
| Intel NUC 12, NUC12SNKi72_Serpent Canyon | |
| Affinity Photo 2 - Combined (Single / Multi GPU) | |
| Minisforum NUCX i7 | |
| Acemagic M2A | |
| Acemagic Tank03 | |
| Intel NUC 12, NUC12SNKi72_Serpent Canyon | |
| Acemagic M2A, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU i9-12900H | Minisforum Neptune Series HX77G, AMD Radeon RX 6600M R7 7735HS | Intel NUC 12, NUC12SNKi72_Serpent Canyon, Intel Arc A770M i7-12700H | Acemagic Tank03, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU i9-12900H | Minisforum NUCX i7, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU i7-11800H | Zotac ZBOX Magnus EN173070C, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU i7-11800H | Average of class Mini PC | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SPECviewperf 12 | 70% | -31% | -3% | -5% | -1% | -44% | |
| 1900x1060 3ds Max (3dsmax-05) | 216 | 246 14% | 150 -31% | 217 0% | 230 6% | 233 8% | 74.4 ? -66% |
| 1900x1060 Catia (catia-04) | 114 | 248 118% | 144 26% | 111 -3% | 108 -5% | 115 1% | 62.7 ? -45% |
| 1900x1060 Creo (creo-01) | 64.1 | 109 70% | 37.7 -41% | 62.5 -2% | 55.4 -14% | 59 -8% | 37.4 ? -42% |
| 1900x1060 Energy (energy-01) | 11.8 | 31.3 165% | 2.13 -82% | 12.1 3% | 12.8 8% | 13.5 ? 14% | |
| 1900x1060 Maya (maya-04) | 190 | 198 4% | 136 -28% | 183 -4% | 199 5% | 212 12% | 63.2 ? -67% |
| 1900x1060 Medical (medical-01) | 79.4 | 97.6 23% | 40.4 -49% | 55.7 -30% | 57.2 -28% | 28.5 ? -64% | |
| 1900x1060 Showcase (showcase-01) | 133 | 120 -10% | 104 -22% | 125 -6% | 138 4% | 136 2% | 33.8 ? -75% |
| 1900x1060 Solidworks (sw-03) | 78.4 | 214 173% | 61.1 -22% | 75.3 -4% | 68.6 -12% | 79.4 1% | 72.7 ? -7% |
| SPECviewperf 13 | 56% | -17% | -4% | 2% | 5% | -52% | |
| 3ds Max (3dsmax-06) | 217 | 246 13% | 149 -31% | 215 -1% | 233 7% | 235 8% | 73.7 ? -66% |
| Catia (catia-05) | 158 | 381 141% | 211 34% | 159 1% | 155 -2% | 163 3% | 88.8 ? -44% |
| Creo (creo-02) | 218 | 273 25% | 77.6 -64% | 215 -1% | 215 -1% | 225 3% | 73.1 ? -66% |
| Energy (energy-02) | 24.8 | 41.8 69% | 19.2 -23% | 24.6 -1% | 24.5 -1% | 25.5 3% | 18.5 ? -25% |
| Maya (maya-05) | 308 | 340 10% | 281 -9% | 304 -1% | 333 8% | 337 9% | 95.2 ? -69% |
| Medical (medical-02) | 59.2 | 130 120% | 70.4 19% | 58.9 -1% | 67.2 14% | 69.5 17% | 38.3 ? -35% |
| Showcase (showcase-02) | 133 | 121 -9% | 105 -21% | 120 -10% | 138 4% | 135 2% | 33.3 ? -75% |
| Solidworks (sw-04) | 115 | 201 75% | 66.2 -42% | 98.6 -14% | 104 -10% | 111 -3% | 76.7 ? -33% |
| SPECviewperf 2020 | 167% | -29% | 1% | -7% | -4% | -35% | |
| 3840x2160 Medical (medical-03) | 9.84 | 20.7 110% | 15.6 59% | 10.4 6% | 10.8 10% | 11 12% | 7.95 ? -19% |
| 3840x2160 Energy (energy-03) | 29.1 | 19.1 -34% | 14.1 -52% | 29.6 2% | 20.1 -31% | 19.7 -32% | 11.4 ? -61% |
| 3840x2160 Creo (creo-03) | 79.7 | 88.4 11% | 45.5 -43% | 76.8 -4% | 75.5 -5% | 78.3 -2% | 30.1 ? -62% |
| 3840x2160 CATIA (catia-06) | 37.6 | 55.1 47% | 36 -4% | 38 1% | 36.4 -3% | 37 -2% | 18.3 ? -51% |
| 3840x2160 3ds Max (3dsmax-07) | 84.5 | 42.5 -50% | 40.1 -53% | 86.8 3% | 72.1 -15% | 76.4 -10% | 22.1 ? -74% |
| 3840x2160 Siemens NX (snx-04) | 18.7 | 224 1098% | 2.42 -87% | 18.5 -1% | 16.5 -12% | 17.3 -7% | 36.3 ? 94% |
| 3840x2160 Maya (maya-06) | 190 | 162 -15% | 149 -22% | 186 -2% | 206 8% | 210 11% | 56.6 ? -70% |
| Total Average (Program / Settings) | 98% /
94% | -26% /
-26% | -2% /
-2% | -3% /
-3% | 0% /
0% | -44% /
-44% |
| 3DMark 05 Standard | 52380 points | |
| 3DMark 06 Standard Score | 51819 points | |
| 3DMark Vantage P Result | 82066 points | |
| 3DMark 11 Performance | 29880 points | |
| 3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score | 85003 points | |
| 3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score | 51583 points | |
| 3DMark Fire Strike Score | 22912 points | |
| 3DMark Fire Strike Extreme Score | 12338 points | |
| 3DMark Time Spy Score | 10307 points | |
| 3DMark Steel Nomad Score | 2337 points | |
| 3DMark Steel Nomad Light Score | 10323 points | |
| 3DMark Steel Nomad Light Unlimited Score | 10344 points | |
Help | ||
Gaming performance
Basically, the Acemagic M2A Starship with the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 laptop GPU delivers outstanding performance to run almost all current games smoothly. In the performance comparison, however, our test sample cannot noticeably set itself apart from the competitors with Nvidia GPU. Compared to the Intel NUC12 Serpent Canyon, however, we see a clear advantage in favor of Acemagic. The Intel Arc A770M has no chance, even though this model also has 16 GB of VRAM. The Acemagic M2A Starship is suitable for FullHD gaming. If the latest titles are not necessarily always played, the mini-PC also delivers playable frame rates in QHD or even UHD. There is also the option to use upsampling in the form of DLSS.
For an overview of the performance of all tested games compared to other models, please refer to our GPU game list.
| The Witcher 3 | |
| 1024x768 Low Graphics & Postprocessing | |
| Zotac ZBOX Magnus EN173070C | |
| Acemagic M2A | |
| Minisforum NUCX i7 | |
| Acemagic Tank03 | |
| Minisforum Neptune Series HX77G | |
| Intel NUC 12, NUC12SNKi72_Serpent Canyon | |
| 1920x1080 High Graphics & Postprocessing (Nvidia HairWorks Off) | |
| Acemagic M2A | |
| Minisforum NUCX i7 | |
| Acemagic Tank03 | |
| Zotac ZBOX Magnus EN173070C | |
| Intel NUC 12, NUC12SNKi72_Serpent Canyon | |
| Minisforum Neptune Series HX77G | |
| Borderlands 3 | |
| 1280x720 Very Low Overall Quality (DX11) | |
| Acemagic M2A | |
| Acemagic Tank03 | |
| Minisforum NUCX i7 | |
| Zotac ZBOX Magnus EN173070C | |
| Minisforum Neptune Series HX77G | |
| Intel NUC 12, NUC12SNKi72_Serpent Canyon | |
| 1920x1080 High Overall Quality (DX11) | |
| Acemagic M2A | |
| Acemagic Tank03 | |
| Zotac ZBOX Magnus EN173070C | |
| Minisforum NUCX i7 | |
| Minisforum Neptune Series HX77G | |
| Intel NUC 12, NUC12SNKi72_Serpent Canyon | |
| GTA V | |
| 1024x768 Lowest Settings possible | |
| Acemagic M2A | |
| Minisforum NUCX i7 | |
| Zotac ZBOX Magnus EN173070C | |
| Acemagic Tank03 | |
| Minisforum Neptune Series HX77G | |
| Intel NUC 12, NUC12SNKi72_Serpent Canyon | |
| 1920x1080 High/On (Advanced Graphics Off) AA:2xMSAA + FX AF:8x | |
| Acemagic M2A | |
| Acemagic Tank03 | |
| Minisforum NUCX i7 | |
| Zotac ZBOX Magnus EN173070C | |
| Minisforum Neptune Series HX77G | |
| Intel NUC 12, NUC12SNKi72_Serpent Canyon | |
| Shadow of the Tomb Raider | |
| 1280x720 Lowest Preset | |
| Minisforum Neptune Series HX77G | |
| Acemagic M2A | |
| Zotac ZBOX Magnus EN173070C | |
| Minisforum NUCX i7 | |
| Acemagic Tank03 | |
| Intel NUC 12, NUC12SNKi72_Serpent Canyon | |
| 1920x1080 High Preset AA:SM | |
| Zotac ZBOX Magnus EN173070C | |
| Acemagic M2A | |
| Acemagic Tank03 | |
| Minisforum NUCX i7 | |
| Minisforum Neptune Series HX77G | |
| Intel NUC 12, NUC12SNKi72_Serpent Canyon | |
| Far Cry 6 | |
| 1280x720 Low Graphics Quality | |
| Acemagic M2A | |
| Acemagic Tank03 | |
| Intel NUC 12, NUC12SNKi72_Serpent Canyon | |
| Minisforum NUCX i7 | |
| Minisforum Neptune Series HX77G | |
| Zotac ZBOX Magnus EN173070C | |
| 1920x1080 High Graphics Quality AA:T | |
| Acemagic M2A | |
| Acemagic Tank03 | |
| Minisforum Neptune Series HX77G | |
| Minisforum NUCX i7 | |
| Intel NUC 12, NUC12SNKi72_Serpent Canyon | |
| Zotac ZBOX Magnus EN173070C | |
| Farming Simulator 22 | |
| 1280x720 Low Preset | |
| Acemagic M2A | |
| Zotac ZBOX Magnus EN173070C | |
| 1920x1080 High Preset | |
| Acemagic M2A | |
| Zotac ZBOX Magnus EN173070C | |
| Dead Space Remake | |
| 1280x720 Low Preset AA:T | |
| Acemagic Tank03 | |
| Minisforum NUCX i7 | |
| Acemagic M2A | |
| Minisforum Neptune Series HX77G | |
| Intel NUC 12, NUC12SNKi72_Serpent Canyon | |
| 1920x1080 High Preset AA:T | |
| Acemagic Tank03 | |
| Acemagic M2A | |
| Minisforum NUCX i7 | |
| Minisforum Neptune Series HX77G | |
| Intel NUC 12, NUC12SNKi72_Serpent Canyon | |
| Hogwarts Legacy | |
| 1280x720 Low Preset AA:Low T | |
| Acemagic M2A | |
| Acemagic Tank03 | |
| Minisforum NUCX i7 | |
| Intel NUC 12, NUC12SNKi72_Serpent Canyon | |
| 1920x1080 High Preset AA:High T | |
| Acemagic M2A | |
| Acemagic Tank03 | |
| Minisforum NUCX i7 | |
| Intel NUC 12, NUC12SNKi72_Serpent Canyon | |
FPS-Diagramm - Cyberpunk 2077 2.1 Phantom Liberty, 1920x1080, Ultra, (FSR off)
| low | med. | high | ultra | QHD DLSS | QHD FSR | QHD | 4K DLSS | 4K FSR | 4K | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 (2025) | 117.6 | 91.1 | 74.9 | 52.5 | 51.9 | 38.7 | 32.9 | 21.7 | ||
| Monster Hunter Wilds (2025) | 59.3 | 50.2 | 40.1 | 38.6 | 31.1 | 26.4 | 19.5 | |||
| Civilization 7 (2025) | 163.9 | 171.9 | 131.8 | 85.8 | 40 | |||||
| Assassin's Creed Shadows (2025) | 47 | 41 | 33 | 25 | 27 | 20 |
Emissions - Four fans are clearly audible
Noise emissions
Acemagic has installed four fans in the M2A Starship, which are always rotating. When idling, the mini-PC is still pleasantly quiet at approx. 33 dB(A). However, under load and when gaming, the fans turn up considerably. We reached a peak of 53.9 dB(A), which is clearly audible. The volume drops slightly when gaming, although 49.3 dB(A) is not really quiet. At least the fans do not produce an unpleasantly high frequency, which means that the subjective noise level is somewhat lower.
Noise Level
| Idle |
| 32.7 / 32.8 / 33.1 dB(A) |
| Load |
| 40.7 / 53.9 dB(A) |
 | ||
30 dB silent 40 dB(A) audible 50 dB(A) loud |
||
min:  , med:  , max:  Earthworks M23R (15 cm distance) environment noise: 24.3 dB(A) | ||
| Acemagic M2A i9-12900H, GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU | Minisforum Neptune Series HX77G R7 7735HS, Radeon RX 6600M | Intel NUC 12, NUC12SNKi72_Serpent Canyon i7-12700H, A770M | Acemagic Tank03 i9-12900H, GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU | Minisforum NUCX i7 i7-11800H, GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU | Zotac ZBOX Magnus EN173070C i7-11800H, GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Noise | 14% | -1% | 6% | 9% | -2% | |
| off / environment * | 24.3 | 25 -3% | 30.3 -25% | 25 -3% | 29.5 -21% | 30.7 -26% |
| Idle Minimum * | 32.7 | 27.5 16% | 31.8 3% | 26.6 19% | 29.5 10% | 32.7 -0% |
| Idle Average * | 32.8 | 27.5 16% | 31.9 3% | 26.7 19% | 29.5 10% | 32.8 -0% |
| Idle Maximum * | 33.1 | 27.5 17% | 32 3% | 26.7 19% | 29.5 11% | 32.8 1% |
| Load Average * | 40.7 | 38.5 5% | 44.4 -9% | 47.3 -16% | 32.8 19% | 41.7 -2% |
| Witcher 3 ultra * | 49.3 | 39.58 20% | 47.3 4% | |||
| Cyberpunk 2077 ultra * | 45.8 | |||||
| Load Maximum * | 53.9 | 40.7 24% | 44.5 17% | 53.1 1% | 40.8 24% | 45.4 16% |
* ... smaller is better
Temperature
The cooling system of the Acemagic M2A Starship consists of seven heatpipes and four fans, which draw in cool air from the sides and bottom. The warm air is then directed out of the case at the sides and also at the rear. The ventilation is good, and there is no heat build-up in the form of high case temperatures at any time.
We see a maximum of 97 °C for the processor under load, but this is not permanent. With a power consumption of 45 watts, the temperature of the Intel Core i9-12900H settles at around 76 °C. The Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 laptop GPU is also well-cooled and does not reach 75 °C under load. The maximum power consumption of 115 watts can be dissipated over a longer period without any problems.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 35.4 °C / 96 F, compared to the average of 35.8 °C / 96 F, ranging from 21.6 to 69.5 °C for the class Mini PC.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 33.4 °C / 92 F, compared to the average of 36.1 °C / 97 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 28.5 °C / 83 F, compared to the device average of 32.3 °C / 90 F.
(+) 3: The average temperature for the upper side is 31.5 °C / 89 F, compared to the average of 32.3 °C / 90 F for the class Mini PC.
Energy management
Compared to other mini-PCs, the Acemagic M2A Starship is not very economical. Nevertheless, our test sample is not completely out of line and is content with approx. 30 watts in idle mode. Under average load, we document a little more than 112 watts, although 212 watts were reached at the peak. The power supply unit is specified at 300 watts and is more than adequately dimensioned.
| Off / Standby | 1.8 / 3.3 Watt |
| Idle | 26.4 / 30.4 / 33.5 Watt |
| Load |
112.6 / 215 Watt |
   
| |
Key:
min: ,
med: ,
max: Metrahit Energy | |
| Acemagic M2A i9-12900H, GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU | Minisforum Neptune Series HX77G R7 7735HS, Radeon RX 6600M | Intel NUC 12, NUC12SNKi72_Serpent Canyon i7-12700H, A770M | Acemagic Tank03 i9-12900H, GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU | Minisforum NUCX i7 i7-11800H, GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU | Zotac ZBOX Magnus EN173070C i7-11800H, GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU | Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU | Average of class Mini PC | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | 27% | -35% | -5% | 4% | -31% | 9% | 57% | |
| Idle Minimum * | 26.4 | 16.5 37% | 28.8 -9% | 27.5 -4% | 28.2 -7% | 31.3 -19% | 19.8 ? 25% | 9.52 ? 64% |
| Idle Average * | 30.4 | 21.5 29% | 39.3 -29% | 30.1 1% | 29.9 2% | 35.1 -15% | 24.3 ? 20% | 11.7 ? 62% |
| Idle Maximum * | 33.5 | 24.4 27% | 57.1 -70% | 38.1 -14% | 36.2 -8% | 41.6 -24% | 33.3 ? 1% | 15 ? 55% |
| Load Average * | 112.6 | 77.2 31% | 158.7 -41% | 101 10% | 83.2 26% | 214 -90% | 108.1 ? 4% | 58.8 ? 48% |
| Cyberpunk 2077 ultra external monitor * | 194.7 | 206 -6% | 177 9% | |||||
| Load Maximum * | 215 | 193.3 10% | 270.9 -26% | 252 -17% | 215.7 -0% | 231 -7% | 230 ? -7% | 99.8 ? 54% |
| Witcher 3 ultra * | 167 | 193.5 |
* ... smaller is better
Power consumption with external monitor
Pros
Cons
Verdict - Good gaming PC with an eye-catching look
With the Acemagic M2A Starship, the manufacturer offers a really interesting gaming PC. However, it is not equipped with the latest hardware on the market, which is a bit of a shame. Nevertheless, the performance of the Intel Core i9-12900H in combination with the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 laptop GPU allows good gaming performance. As we were able to determine in the test, almost all modern games can be smoothly displayed on the screen in 1080p. The Acemagic M2A Starship therefore meets the requirements of a gaming PC. The size of the video memory should be emphasized positively, because with 16 GB you rarely run the risk of a bottleneck. Many games make full use of the graphics memory, even in FullHD. In terms of the graphics card's power consumption, Acemagic takes a conservative approach: at 115 watts, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU is somewhat limited in its performance, which is why the performance of the graphics card even lags behind a well-performing Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU in the Minisforum NUCxi7.
The Acemagic M2A Starship is a very eye-catching and compact gaming PC with good gaming performance.
The design of the Acemagic M2A Starship is certainly debatable. However, the mini-PC is definitely an eye-catcher. In terms of workmanship, there is not much to complain about. A lot of plastic is used and you shouldn't expect any haptic delicacies here. The arrangement of the installed components is impractical. RAM and SSD can be swapped, although reaching them will be a major problem for many. This was solved much better with the Acemagic Tank03.
The many connections are worth highlighting, which certainly all had to be moved to the rear due to the design. However, anyone who doesn't want to constantly plug peripheral devices in and out should be able to cope with this. Alternatively, a docking station can be connected via USB4 to avoid this problem.
Unfortunately, the cooling is not well implemented. The Acemagic M2A Starship is equipped with four fans. These ensure stable performance for the CPU and GPU under load. However, the four fans produce a clearly audible background noise.
Price and availability
Users can order the Acemagic M2A Starship via Amazon. Otherwise, the futuristic-look PC can be purchased directly from the manufacturer
Note: We have recently updated our rating system and the results of version 8 are not comparable with the results of version 7. More information is available here .
Acemagic M2A
- 06/21/2024 v8
Sebastian Bade
Total Sustainability Score: Transparency
The selection of devices to be reviewed is made by our editorial team. The test sample was given to the author by the manufacturer free of charge for the purposes of review. There was no third-party influence on this review, nor did the manufacturer receive a copy of this review before publication. There was no obligation to publish this review. We never accept compensation or payment in return for our reviews. As an independent media company, Notebookcheck is not subjected to the authority of manufacturers, retailers or publishers.
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Every year, Notebookcheck independently reviews hundreds of laptops and smartphones using standardized procedures to ensure that all results are comparable. We have continuously developed our test methods for around 20 years and set industry standards in the process. In our test labs, high-quality measuring equipment is utilized by experienced technicians and editors. These tests involve a multi-stage validation process. Our complex rating system is based on hundreds of well-founded measurements and benchmarks, which maintains objectivity. Further information on our test methods can be found here.
